T-shirt fans

[David321]

I really don’t like the term. My question is, how do you all feel about someone like me adopting Syracuse as my team? I’m from upstate NY (near Albany) and went to a community college. I have always liked college football much more than the NFL, and being Sabbatarian, I don’t watch sports on Sundays.

I’ve been following college football for about 20 years but never had a team, which makes it less exciting. I've finally decided to adopt Syracuse as my own due to geographical proximity. Adopt as in go all in, this is my team now for better or worse.

The thing is, I have heard numerous people say (not here) that you shouldn’t wear Syracuse gear if you never went there, shouldn’t say “we” when talking about the team etc. Is this really true, is following college football really that exclusive? I know down south almost everyone follows their team, most of which are people who never attended or work for the college they root for. Is this taboo in the north?

 

[cuse309]

Welcome aboard. You're buying in low. Your fandom can only improve. It's 2021 sir/mam...use whatever pronoun you want regarding your team.

 

[SUskibum]

I really don’t like the term. My question is, how do you all feel about someone like me adopting Syracuse as my team? I’m from upstate NY (near Albany) and went to a community college. I have always liked college football much more than the NFL, and being Sabbatarian, I don’t watch sports on Sundays.

I’ve been following college football for about 20 years but never had a team, which makes it less exciting. I've finally decided to adopt Syracuse as my own due to geographical proximity. Adopt as in go all in, this is my team now for better or worse.

The thing is, I have heard numerous people say (not here) that you shouldn’t wear Syracuse gear if you never went there, shouldn’t say “we” when talking about the team etc. Is this really true, is following college football really that exclusive? I know down south almost everyone follows their team, most of which are people who never attended or work for the college they root for. Is this taboo in the north?

You tell those people to shut their damn mouth.

There is no prerequisite to joining the orange family other than bleeding orange

Welcome to our degenerate, lovely, embarrassing family! The heartbreaks make the good times that much sweeter.

If I ever heard an alum say that I would freak and take their status. I say this as someone who grew up in Cuse (north Syracuse/Cicero) for 30 years, went to their football camps when I was ‘only’ a townie high school student, then applied to and graduated undergrad there, now own seasons tickets (even though I now live 3hrs away) and annually donate.

welcome!

EDIT: I travel the entire eastern half of the country for work and if I have found anything about Cuse fans (local or alum or both) is that they are inclusive. And I meet a lot since I ALWAYS have >1 piece of Cuse gear on anytime I’m not in a suit and they always say what’s up 18 to 80

 

[orangedave]

I really don’t like the term. My question is, how do you all feel about someone like me adopting Syracuse as my team? I’m from upstate NY (near Albany) and went to a community college. I have always liked college football much more than the NFL, and being Sabbatarian, I don’t watch sports on Sundays.

I’ve been following college football for about 20 years but never had a team, which makes it less exciting. I've finally decided to adopt Syracuse as my own due to geographical proximity. Adopt as in go all in, this is my team now for better or worse.

The thing is, I have heard numerous people say (not here) that you shouldn’t wear Syracuse gear if you never went there, shouldn’t say “we” when talking about the team etc. Is this really true, is following college football really that exclusive? I know down south almost everyone follows their team, most of which are people who never attended or work for the college they root for. Is this taboo in the north?

I cannot think of any valid reason why attending any school should be a requirement for wearing their gear or any other articles. Do people who wear gear of professional teams have to be former players on those teams? Same thing with saying "we".
I'm sure the companies which produce the shirts would see a huge drop in their sales.

 

[rrlbees]

Wear orange to your hearts content. Most every SU fan does whether they went to SU or not. Look at pictures of a full dome for b-ball or fball. It’s a sea of orange. They aren’t all graduates.

 

[buffalorange]

I really don’t like the term. My question is, how do you all feel about someone like me adopting Syracuse as my team? I’m from upstate NY (near Albany) and went to a community college. I have always liked college football much more than the NFL, and being Sabbatarian, I don’t watch sports on Sundays.

I’ve been following college football for about 20 years but never had a team, which makes it less exciting. I've finally decided to adopt Syracuse as my own due to geographical proximity. Adopt as in go all in, this is my team now for better or worse.

The thing is, I have heard numerous people say (not here) that you shouldn’t wear Syracuse gear if you never went there, shouldn’t say “we” when talking about the team etc. Is this really true, is following college football really that exclusive? I know down south almost everyone follows their team, most of which are people who never attended or work for the college they root for. Is this taboo in the north?

I've never heard the term "t-shirt fan". If you can't support a team whose school you didn't attend many colleges would be in trouble. Where would Notre Dame be without its "subway alumni" (fans that never actually attended ND)?

Busybodies who think they have the right to judge what team you support and what you wear to show that support can .

 

[David321]

For clarification it’s not other Cuse fans who have said this in my experience, but graduates from other schools. It’s certainly rampant in online CFB discussions as well. But to be fair every Cuse fan I’ve interacted with has been very chill and welcoming.

 

[baggerbob]

For clarification it’s not other Cuse fans who have said this in my experience, but graduates from other schools. It’s certainly rampant in online CFB discussions as well. But to be fair every Cuse fan I’ve interacted with has been very chill and welcoming.

Started listening to football and basketball games on the radio in 1956. I was only 10 at the time, considered myself a fan ever since.

 

[Trueblue25]

Lol Syracuse University’s expensive.

I am one of the most enthusiastic die hards in existence and I went to UB for school.

You wear and root on the orange to your hearts content. Anyone who tells you you can’t root for a school because you didn’t go there is trying a bit to hard and should relax.

Welcome

 

[SUskibum]

For clarification it’s not other Cuse fans who have said this in my experience, but graduates from other schools. It’s certainly rampant in online CFB discussions as well. But to be fair every Cuse fan I’ve interacted with has been very chill and welcoming.

Those people wouldn’t know college fandom if it punched em in the mouth

They should take a trip down south (where I spend a TON of time) and they will realize the exact opposite happens. Regardless of where you went to school, if your not geared up in the local college garb, you are the enemy. And I believe the south knows a little about college sports compared to the north

 

[All4SU]

There are no prerequisites for being a fan.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

For clarification it’s not other Cuse fans who have said this in my experience, but graduates from other schools. It’s certainly rampant in online CFB discussions as well. But to be fair every Cuse fan I’ve interacted with has been very chill and welcoming.

I don't have hard numbers on this, but from my experience, non-locals make up a significant portion of the student body at Syracuse, and they don't stick around after graduation.

As a local, I've been a Cuse fan my whole life.

Without locals, Cuse sports are nothing. Welcome aboard!

 

[ImperialOrange]

For clarification it’s not other Cuse fans who have said this in my experience, but graduates from other schools. It’s certainly rampant in online CFB discussions as well. But to be fair every Cuse fan I’ve interacted with has been very chill and welcoming.

Graduates from other state schools that are much cheaper and easier to get into than Syracuse I'd imagine.

I'm from Pennsylvania (Penn State country) and my only tie to SU is my aunt and uncle that used to live in Liverpool, NY and took me to my first game when I was 10. Couldn't be happier with my chosen Cuse fanhood for better or worse. I'd rather go 1-10 Vs be part of the Happy Valley cult. For reference I could've gotten into and afforded Penn State... Cuse was always going to be way out of my family's budget but love the school just the same.

 

[NJCuse97]

I think there are several layers to this. As an alum, I have/see no issue with someone who is or wants to be a fan of my alma mater despite not having gone there. In fact I welcome and encourage it for many reasons including most of those mentioned here. Where some alums bristle in my experience is when fans who did not go to the school complain about the way the school spends it's money, in particular when it comes to funding a new classroom or dorm building rather than a weight room or private dining experience exclusive to the football team. Again, if a donor said they wanted their donation put toward that, there is no argument, but when folks suggest the school should mortgage their future for a new stadium and students be damned, well those students are major donors at $75k a year, and those students prop up my degree with their academic performance, and those students' success, and their college experience, lead directly to them becoming the next major donors. Support the school that fields the team, not the team in spite of the school. That is the only place I have seen or taken issue. It isn't really "amateur". We are well beyond that. But it is collegiate and the mission is not that of a professional sports organization. I know that gray area grows every day, but don't forsake the school for the sake of the athletic programs it provides.

 

[Eric15]

The thing is, I have heard numerous people say (not here) that you shouldn’t wear Syracuse gear if you never went there, shouldn’t say “we” when talking about the team etc.

I guarantee you a small percentage of people in the Dome on gameday actually went to Syracuse. "Townies" are what sustain the program.

It's great to have you aboard. More the merrier.

 

[Chip]

I've never heard anyone say that, you can disregard it.

Welcome aboard.

Brave choice at this point in our history.

 

[0.2 YNdeeR]

I don't have hard numbers on this, but from my experience, non-locals make up a significant portion of the student body at Syracuse, and they don't stick around after graduation.

As a local, I've been a Cuse fan my whole life.

Without locals, Cuse sports are nothing. Welcome aboard!

No doubt "locals" could teach some alums - and current students - a thing or two about being a 'Cuse fan.

 

[Trueblue25]

I think of the Orange as a regional identity that surpasses just being a University.

If you live in CNY, you’re already an Orange fan. You just may not know it yet.

Like Western New Yorkers with the Bills

 

[SUfaninAZ]

Don't get too invested. It's bad for the heart. Ha

 

[Trueblue25]

Don't get too invested. It's bad for the heart. Ha

God made blue light and dome dogs for that

 

[SUGIANT]

I really don’t like the term. My question is, how do you all feel about someone like me adopting Syracuse as my team? I’m from upstate NY (near Albany) and went to a community college. I have always liked college football much more than the NFL, and being Sabbatarian, I don’t watch sports on Sundays.

I’ve been following college football for about 20 years but never had a team, which makes it less exciting. I've finally decided to adopt Syracuse as my own due to geographical proximity. Adopt as in go all in, this is my team now for better or worse.

The thing is, I have heard numerous people say (not here) that you shouldn’t wear Syracuse gear if you never went there, shouldn’t say “we” when talking about the team etc. Is this really true, is following college football really that exclusive? I know down south almost everyone follows their team, most of which are people who never attended or work for the college they root for. Is this taboo in the north?

I’ve never seen that and I’ve been on here since early 90s, or whenever it started (previous iterations). I wear SU gear and I don’t care what anyone thinks. When I was in the Navy the team was my beacon home during Deseet Storm. The originals I know would never say that. If some newbies do well I say …. Them, lol. Respectfully of course. There’s plenty of things the local community or greater community does for SU and visa versa. There’s no reason anyone that wants to can’t wear SU gear. If not I wonder how that attendance would be without us townies?!

 

[JRHEETER]

I really don’t like the term. My question is, how do you all feel about someone like me adopting Syracuse as my team? I’m from upstate NY (near Albany) and went to a community college. I have always liked college football much more than the NFL, and being Sabbatarian, I don’t watch sports on Sundays.

I’ve been following college football for about 20 years but never had a team, which makes it less exciting. I've finally decided to adopt Syracuse as my own due to geographical proximity. Adopt as in go all in, this is my team now for better or worse.

The thing is, I have heard numerous people say (not here) that you shouldn’t wear Syracuse gear if you never went there, shouldn’t say “we” when talking about the team etc. Is this really true, is following college football really that exclusive? I know down south almost everyone follows their team, most of which are people who never attended or work for the college they root for. Is this taboo in the north?

LOL whoever said that is dumb.

wear it, show it, love it, live it, breath it.

Get season tickets, they only start at $125 a seat.

Come to a fine mess tailgate

you’ll never regret it, ever.

 

[DoubleDee]

I did not go to Syracuse. I have over 70 syracuse shirts. Sue me.

 

[Trueblue25]

Shirt World on Marshall charge you extra if you’re not an alum?

 

[Eric15]

In a very general sense, most people who attend SU are from places like LI, NJ, CT and didn't grow up as an SU fan. And then after college they move away, and either come back for games at the Dome infrequently or attend games when they're at MSG, etc.

The people who grow up in CNY and root for SU throughout their childhood usually go to SUNY schools, LeMoyne, etc., remain in CNY after graduation and are the people who are season ticket holders as adults.

Basically, you can't have one group without the other.